Build Massive Arms The Smart Way

Build Massive Arms The Smart Way

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Big guns, big guns, oh how we all want em. For those out there shooting for big guns, I'm gonna give you the tools you need to get them, the smart way. Most guys hit the gym with few objectives other than to lift until exhausted. They spend hours lifting, sitting, chatting, watching, and wondering why they haven't made gains recently. Don't fall into this trap.

Our bodies are not as schizophrenic as our minds. They don't randomly grow from certain workouts by accident. They are forced to grow sometimes, and other times, our expended energy was wasted. But we needn't waste a single workout if we monitor our lifting sessions and methodically increase intensity in order to elicit that adaptive growth response.

Intensity is not simply a feeling of exhaustion post workout. Intensity can and should be quantified in order to determine how much energy output is needed the next workout to stimulate growth. This is the principle of progressive overload which states that our bodies adapt and grow when we push them past previous limits of energy exertion. So how do we measure intensity?

We can measure intensity very simply by multiplying the amount of weight lifted by the number of total repetitions, then divided by the total number of minutes for that muscle group. This gives you a very clean pounds-per-minute power level for that session. Your goal then is to increase this number each session. Most guys will enter a gym with one goal in mind, to lift more weight. But weight lifted is only one of the variables that comprise intensity.

If you look at that equation, you'll see that we can increase our intensity number not only by increasing the weight, but also by increasing the number of repetitions of the same weight in the same amount of time, or decreasing the time it takes to complete the same workout. If you curl 50 pounds 50 times in 10 minutes, including rest times, this week, and next week you lift the same for the same number of reps but you do so in 8 minutes, then you are 20 percent stronger and your intensity number will represent that.

And yes, it should be clear that you may be able to increase your intensity number not by increasing the weight, but by decreasing the weight and lifting it for a greater number of repetitions. This may seem counterintuitive at first, but it is the case. And your body is able to put out more work per unit of time, measured by your intensity number, then there is no other way to look at it, you're stronger than you were before, and you've stimulated new muscle growth.

To make this calculation easy, stick to one or two basic lifts for the biceps and the triceps. Don't get caught up in lifting each muscle 10 different ways. That has nothing to do with growth. Angling only reduces leverage on a muscle which requires less motor recruitment to perform the lift. Sticking to the simple bicep curl is not only the most effective lift for maximum leverage on the bicep; it also makes calculating strength gains much much easier. For the triceps one can use dips, the triceps press down, or triangle pushups. Compound these exercises into supersets where you perform a bicep set immediately followed by a triceps lift for greater intensity.

The only two components left are diet and rest. You should be stronger every session, and with the tools above you should be able to methodically test that every session. If you fail to grow your intensity numbers one session, then add more days of rest between arm sessions. For a natural bodybuilder, this may require 3 to 14 days of rest depending on how strong you are. The stronger you are, the greater intensity the workouts. The greater the intensity, the longer your body will take to recover. Growth doesn't happen in the gym remember, but while you're resting. Just make sure you're consuming more than enough calories to grow that new muscle you've stimulated.

About the Author:
Tom Fazio is a personal trainer and martial arts instructor based in Shanghai, China. He uses the principles in this article to help client's construct effective shoulder workouts, bicep workouts and chest workout routines for them as individuals.



Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com


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